Forum:24: That Which Has Been Lost
The group investigating the sound of explosions in the distance later happened upon two Centaur Raav bursting through the undergrowth, trying to escape from the source of the noise. The group intercepted and destroyed them with little trouble, but were then bombarded by the Silver Eagle raining magical bolts of lightning and balls of fire down onto the party. After the relentless pursuit, the group unknowingly escaped into Negative Space, where another of Genbu's servants, Lost Liuye the Painter, awaited their introduction. Bleeding heavily from a wound in his leg, the painter nevertheless occupied himself throughout their conversation on the finishing touches of a painting depicting a tremendously-detailed and foreboding snow-covered mountain, with a group of four fallen bodies in the foreground. Liuye explained to the group that he had been instructed by his master to pass the following information to the group: To the west there is a rocky coastline which can be followed north into a grotto that goes underground. Near the entrance to the grotto is Depyat (D5) of the Dead Dragons, and the party is to find him and stop him from doing whatever he is doing. Liuye explained that the cryptic and context-bare nature of the request was simply a test of whether or not the group was willing to follow orders from Genbu. Though he did also state that as a reward for continuing to cooperate, Genbu would be able to ensure that the party stayed one step ahead of the machinations of the Dead Dragons. Though reluctantly, and considering Artyom's agreement with Genbu, the party agreed, and Liuye offered the group some insight into the upcoming battle. Depyat he described as a man "whose hatred transcends death itself", and that while Yahtuh's holy powers may be able to effectively counter some of Depyat's skills and weaken his defences, his hatred is so great that it would surely kill Yahtuh if he tried to bear it all alone. He also presented the group with a picture of the man himself, and looking at the picture caused a similar anger to swell from the stomachs of the party as they looked upon it. Liuye also took the opportunity to mention that the coastline would be subjected to an icy sea spray that the party would have to guard against as well. As a reward for their patient manner, Liuye himself also offered to paint the group a picture at some point in the future. As the group went out to carry on their work, Liuye offered information of a sort to Ten Tongues. Apparently Genbu crafts his servants though removing something from them first. From the one he calls Philosopher Gabe he removed "Time and Space", for Carver Rahim it was "Words" and for the Writer Lukas it was "Passion". Liuye himself lost "Pain" and Ten Tongues is apparently losing "Form". There are three others whom Genbu is seeking to make his own, and from them he removes "Fear", "Self", and "Love". He ended by saying that it is within Ten Tongues' power to resist becoming Genbu's servant, but it may cause him to accept something even more unthinkable in exchange. Ten Tongues reaffirmed his will and simply stated that he would not accept the same failures that the other servants have, and that he will win through willpower. Liuye simply said that he hoped he would have the privilege of seeing Ten Tongues when the deciding moment occurs. The party thus headed towards the coast, noting courtesy of Lexington that they had been shunted several miles westwards through their incursion into Negative Space. The resulting journey thus takes little more than a day, and in the morning, amidst the frigid sea spray, and a coastline strewn with the corpses of the recently deceased, the group finds D5 alone in repose. Though he asks what the party is doing there, he draws his blade in anticipation of another fierce battle...